My PC currently has a Ryzen 5 4500, an RTX 4060, 16GB of RAM, and an AM4 motherboard whose exact model I still need to identify. When I first bought it, the system handled the games I played without problems, but after leaving it unused for a while, newer games now seem to run noticeably worse and have less stable FPS.
I mainly play at 1080p and would eventually like to record videos and stream with a friend. Money is tight because I'm helping care for a family member, so I'd prefer to upgrade gradually. However, I'm willing to save for one worthwhile upgrade if smaller purchases would only need replacing later.
What should I upgrade first? I'd also appreciate advice on troubleshooting why the computer might be performing worse than it used to. The motherboard model, BIOS version, power supply, temperatures, drivers, and current RAM configuration are all things I can check.
3 Answers
The RTX 4060 should generally be fine for 1080p, so I wouldn’t replace the graphics card first. Troubleshoot the performance drop before spending money: check CPU and GPU temperatures, confirm the CPU and GPU clocks under load, update or clean-install graphics drivers, remove unnecessary startup software, check available storage space, and make sure Windows isn’t using a power-saving mode. Also inspect the cooler and fans for dust and verify that the games are using the dedicated GPU.
For gaming while streaming, a Ryzen 7 5700X or one of the AM4 X3D processors would give you more CPU headroom than the 5600, provided your motherboard and cooler support it. The 5800X3D is the strongest long-term AM4 option, but it may not make sense if it costs close to a full platform upgrade. Identify the motherboard and power supply first, since both affect which processor is safe and practical.
Check the RAM before replacing anything. If you currently have one 16GB stick, adding a matching stick so the system runs in dual-channel mode could help. If you already have 2x8GB, make sure the memory profile is enabled in the BIOS and that it is running at its rated speed. Going to 32GB can also help with newer games, recording, and multitasking, but I’d still put the CPU ahead of a RAM upgrade if the memory is already configured properly.
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